Women's D1 Rankings/Polls 2011-2012

[Badger Booster]

Re: Women's D1 Rankings/Polls 2011-2012

Minnesota is barely hanging on to #2 and Cornell is getting more first place votes. Not sure what the logic is for two people still voting the Gophers #1, but no big deal.

As far as the Bulldogs not gaining any ground, I'm just guessing that the 9 losses are preventing them from moving up much (or at all this weekend). Get some points in Madison and they should move, though it depends what else happens around the country.

 

[Badger Booster]

Re: Women's D1 Rankings/Polls 2011-2012

Actually, Wisconsin had a win and a tie (lost a shootout), while Gophers won one and lost one. Cornell is getting first place votes (more than Minnesota) so it's not like they are being ignored.

Well, the problem is that those right in front of you didn't do anything to warrant dropping down either. I am not even sure why the switch of MN and UW -- they each lost 1 game on the weekend. And Cornell won two in pretty convincing fashion, but they don't get any chance to move up. I am a little surprised that Mercyhurst didn't drop at all -- they barely beat Syracuse and Niagara in the last week (OT in 2 of the games). While this is all good locker room (and blog) fodder, at the end of the day, they have to play the games....it's nice to see 4 teams from the East in the top-8 and 6 in the top-10 (3 from ECAC and all 3 from Ivy League -- quite impressive!)

 

[pakidnyc]

Re: Women's D1 Rankings/Polls 2011-2012

Actually, Wisconsin had a win and a tie (lost a shootout), while Gophers won one and lost one. Cornell is getting first place votes (more than Minnesota) so it's not like they are being ignored.

I just actually thought they should have moved up to 2nd and Minnesota 3rd....I don't get a vote though!

 

[Badger Booster]

Re: Women's D1 Rankings/Polls 2011-2012

I probably would have voted the same way...not that I have a vote. Cornell could get their chance with the Badgers having to play UMD who always play pretty well here in Madison.

I just actually thought they should have moved up to 2nd and Minnesota 3rd....I don't get a vote though!

 

[granddaddyscout]

Re: Women's D1 Rankings/Polls 2011-2012

And Cornell won two in pretty convincing fashion, but they don't get any chance to move up.

I just actually thought they should have moved up to 2nd and Minnesota 3rd....I don't get a vote though!

Not sure what you mean by convincing fashion, Cornell's last 3 games are 3-0 over # 28 Colgate, 4-1 over #15 Qpac , and 1-0 over #21 Princeton according to the RPI index. Pretty close scores for unranked teams. Minnesota is the only team to beat UW and they have never swept UDM, UW beat a strong UND team while missing 2 important players and then tied them after playing most of the game with Decker the top scorer in the country. Don't worry though the pollsters will find a way to move Cornell to at least 2 and maybe 1 if UM or UW lose another game, you can count on it!

 

[Sporty Fan]

Re: Women's D1 Rankings/Polls 2011-2012

Very good point Granddaddy scout!
Originally Posted by: Granddaddyscout: Not sure what you mean by convincing fashion, Cornell's last 3 games are 3-0 over # 28 Colgate, 4-1 over #15 Qpac , and 1-0 over #21 Princeton according to the RPI index. Pretty close scores for unranked teams. Minnesota is the only team to beat UW and they have never swept UDM, UW beat a strong UND team while missing 2 important players and then tied them after playing most of the game with Decker the top scorer in the country. Don't worry though the pollsters will find a way to move Cornell to at least 2 and maybe 1 if UM or UW lose another game, you can count on it!

 

[ARM]

Re: Women's D1 Rankings/Polls 2011-2012

I'm sure that a lot of fans look at results and say, "Wisconsin had a tie at UND; that must be a negative." It really isn't. Both KRACH and Rutter have North Dakota ranked as the #4 team in the country. So you play them on their ice on Saturday, embarrass them 8-2, the eighth straight time that you've beat them over the last two years. A team like UND with three Olympians on the roster doesn't just roll over and die at that point. To get out of Grand Forks without a loss was actually a pretty good showing by Wisconsin, and I tip my hat to them.

 

[ARM]

Re: Women's D1 Rankings/Polls 2011-2012

USCHO.com Division I Women's Poll
January 23, 2012
Team (First Place Votes) Record Points Last Poll
1 Wisconsin (13) 22-2-2 148 1
2 Cornell ( 2) 18-2-0 130 3
3 Minnesota 20-4-2 124 2
4 Boston College 18-6-2 101 4
5 North Dakota 15-8-2 80 6
6 Northeastern 17-5-2 73 7
7 Mercyhurst 18-5-1 68 5
8 Minnesota-Duluth 12-11-1 34 8
9 Harvard 12-6-1 33 9
10 Dartmouth 12-6-2 20 10
Others receiving votes: Bemidji State 7, St. Lawrence 7.


Read more: http://www.uscho.com/rankings/d-i-womens-poll/#ixzz1kJH1Q9BG

 

[Badger Booster]

Re: Women's D1 Rankings/Polls 2011-2012

Interesting how strength of schedule must be keeping UMD at #8, but not enough for Wisconsin to get all the #1 votes. Not that it really matters (at least for the #1 discussion), but interesting.

 

[ARM]

Re: Women's D1 Rankings/Polls 2011-2012

Interesting how strength of schedule must be keeping UMD at #8, but not enough for Wisconsin to get all the #1 votes. Not that it really matters (at least for the #1 discussion), but interesting.

The two voters that don't believe Wisconsin is #1 may not be voting for UMD at all. If one goes by Rutter or KRACH, then UMD is being undervalued.

 

[Badger Booster]

Re: Women's D1 Rankings/Polls 2011-2012

I would say that it's probably likely that voters that don't see Wisconsin #1 would not vote for UMD. I also see what you are saying about the other polls. I'm curious where that tipping point is. Logically, it just doesn't seem like they can afford to lose more than one or two games from here on out.

The two voters that don't believe Wisconsin is #1 may not be voting for UMD at all. If one goes by Rutter or KRACH, then UMD is being undervalued.

 

[granddaddyscout]

Re: Women's D1 Rankings/Polls 2011-2012

Interesting how strength of schedule must be keeping UMD at #8, but not enough for Wisconsin to get all the #1 votes. Not that it really matters (at least for the #1 discussion), but interesting.

What is more interesting and does matter is that Minny is number 3 in SOS, they have beaten the Badgers twice and tied them once, and the polsters move Cornell a head of them. Cornell is number 13 in SOS, they won by a goal and then lost by 3 to #7 Mercyhurst, and they have had very un-impressive wins against team like Colgate and Princeton. It is so incredibly clear that many pollsters allow their east coast bias to influence their voting to the great detriment on the west. Cornell is 4-2 against teams ranked 7, 9, & 10 currently. The Gophers are 3-2-1 against UW & UND, which is more impressive.

It really is crazy how much tougher the WCHA schedules are, even when many of the teams had Lindenwood in the mix this year. Unfortunatly these pollsters have a big impact on who gets into the tournament as well as where they are seeded. That will be the next round of manuvering, to ensure the seeding of teams to prevent an all WCHA Championship game.

 

[ARM]

Re: Women's D1 Rankings/Polls 2011-2012

I'm curious where that tipping point is. Logically, it just doesn't seem like they can afford to lose more than one or two games from here on out.

I agree. Either UMD loses at least one more in the WCHA tournament, or it doesn't matter because they've won the auto bid. The Bulldogs are done with Wisconsin, UND, and Minnesota. I'd say that their toughest remaining games are at Bemidji. Yes, they still have OSU, but that's in Duluth. If they don't lose more than one from here on in the regular season, then I'd think they still have a good shot at an at-large bid.

Unfortunatly these pollsters have a big impact on who gets into the tournament as well as where they are seeded. That will be the next round of manuvering, to ensure the seeding of teams to prevent an all WCHA Championship game.

I doubt the pollsters have any impact at all on the tournament. Two things matter: the ordering in the PWR and $$$. If Wisconsin stay at No. 1 and Minnesota stays in the top three, then I doubt they wind up on the same side of the bracket. However, I would expect in that case, any at large WCHA teams beyond them will be sent to Madison or Minneapolis for a quarterfinal.

 

[ManBehindTheCurtain]

Re: Women's D1 Rankings/Polls 2011-2012

Unfortunatly these pollsters have a big impact on who gets into the tournament as well as where they are seeded.

The polls do NOT have any effect on the tournament selection process.

USCHO produces a Pairwise Ranking which it advertises as an "attempt to mimic the method used by the NCAA Selection Committee to determine participants for the NCAA Division I women's hockey tournament."

The current Pairwise ranking is interesting as it places Cornell 2 and Minnesota 3 with Cornell winning the comparison due to a better RPI.

Also of interest is North Dakota currently tied for 7th and 8th, the last spot in, with UMD currently 10th (on the outside looking in).

 

[granddaddyscout]

Re: Women's D1 Rankings/Polls 2011-2012

I believe the polls play a significant roll in the NCAA method and the Pairwise, someone explained it all last year. Perhaps I misunderstood.

 

[mattj711]

Re: Women's D1 Rankings/Polls 2011-2012

I believe the polls play a significant roll in the NCAA method and the Pairwise, someone explained it all last year. Perhaps I misunderstood.

Polls play about as much of a role as me writing my personal rankings on the back of a McDonald’s napkin.

 

[ARM]

Re: Women's D1 Rankings/Polls 2011-2012

I believe the polls play a significant roll in the NCAA method and the Pairwise, someone explained it all last year.

No role. Go to this page and read the text in the box in gray below the team rankings. That is a good intro.

 

[WCHFan]

Re: Women's D1 Rankings/Polls 2011-2012

Just take the top 16 or 32 and play it down. And get Holy Cross outa there.

 

[comefrombehind]

Polls play about as much of a role as me writing my personal rankings on the back of a McDonald’s napkin.

When I see the fifth place team in the Ivy League ranked sixth in the nation by Pairwise, I place more faith in your napkin.

 

[play-by-play guy]

Re: Women's D1 Rankings/Polls 2011-2012

Just playing devil's advocate here:
What if the women's brackets went to what the men played prior to expanding to 16 teams and allow 12 to get in? Granted, this means 33 percent of the DI teams get in, but with some imagination and creative bracketing, it could work. More teams would be traveling and there may be issues with rinks like Wisconsin runs into with one facility hosting men's and women's basketball and hockey. Let's see what I can come up with just using current RPI and not taking into automatic bids...again just throwing it out there to see if something shakes out:
1. Wisconsin 2. Cornell 3. Minnesota 4. Mercyhurst 5. BC 6. Harvard 7t. Northeastern 7t. North Dakota 9. Dartmouth 10t. Duluth 10t. St. Lawrence 12. Bemidji St.
Okay, in this scenario, Wisc., Cornell, MN, and Mercyhurst would have home ice like normal. If the NCAA decided the field strictly using RPI, then BC would have been at Mercyhurst, Harvard at MN, NE at Cornell, and ND at Wisconsin anyway. Instead of this line up, teams 9-12 would play teams 5-8 with 1-4 opening round byes with those games at 1-4 rink. Now here is where we could "play" a little if we had to.
Send Bemidji to Madison to play ND with winner playing Wisconsin; St. Lawrence to Cornell to play N'eastern, winner v. Cornell; Duluth to Minneapolis to play Harvard, winner v. MN; and Dartmouth to Erie to play BC, winner v. Mercyhurst (with some liberties, could make BC #4 and have them host if travel costs are a concern).
Make sense to everyone? Good. I realize that the rankings easily could change from now until the beginning of March, but maybe will stir things up. There is probably something wrong with my logic, and I'm sure it would never happen like this until there are about another 10 women's programs in the NCAA. Let the debate begin....good, bad, or otherwise.